MamaParrotHead Posted June 5, 2005 #1 Share Posted June 5, 2005 We just took our first cruise on the Valor, and I'm looking ahead (no big surprise, LOL) to planning our next cruise. I've been looking into the Destiny and wondered if anyone who had sailed both (or knew a lot about both) could compare and contrast the ships themselves (staterooms, food, lounges/nightlife), ports and/or crew for me. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrsdeedee Posted June 5, 2005 #2 Share Posted June 5, 2005 We'll no I haven't been on either so I'm just typing my opinon. Of course you know that the Valor is newer than Destiny she is an older boat but I heard she's getting refurbished in Sept so she should look almost new. I have been keeping an eye on her because I love her Ports. My SIL was aboard her last year and said that the boat was just o.k. That's becuase we sailed Victory first. I know there weren't that many midnight buffets (see we really got spoiled on Victory I swear they had them every night) I also think she didn't have as much fun because we first cruised as a group and when she went on Destiny it was only her and a friend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrsdeedee Posted June 5, 2005 #3 Share Posted June 5, 2005 By the way did u see GatorCalw's Video aboard the Destiny?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SouthernCaribbean Posted June 5, 2005 #4 Share Posted June 5, 2005 We just took our first cruise on the Valor, and I'm looking ahead (no big surprise, LOL) to planning our next cruise. I've been looking into the Destiny and wondered if anyone who had sailed both (or knew a lot about both) could compare and contrast the ships themselves (staterooms, food, lounges/nightlife), ports and/or crew for me. Thanks! I havent sailed on Valor, but here are a few things that are unique to Destiny I usually get to the pier around 11amish,boarding starts around noon and you can get off and check out SJ until 9amish. There is a duty-free liquor store located in the terminal...its a great place to stock up with their incredibly low prices. Just put it in your carry on and they wont say a word. They will even tell you this in the store. The muster drill is usually held around 9:30pmish. The first night is open seating in the dining room. The times are 5:30 and 7:45 in the Galaxy and Universe Dining rooms. On the second night you will eat at your assinged table. Sailaway is normally 10pmish. Captain's Formal Cocktail Party is held from 7-8:30pm on the first Formal Night From recent reviews, Formal night has been change to Tuesday(Dominica) and Thursday(Sea Day) Destiny boards passengers in San Juan, Barbados and Aruba. It doesnt leave each of those ports until 10pm-11pm. The dining rooms are half full on the evenings when the ship stays in Barbados(10PM) and Aruba(11PM),I think they just decided to allow shorts to be worn for dinner, so people that want to dine on the ship can come get a quick meal and head back off the ship without getting dressed up. Also those people that board the ship in Barbados and Aruba might not get their luggage in time. I have been on Destiny 4 times and have never used the dining room for the nights in Barbados and Aruba. Since most ships usually leave port at 5-7pm its seems like a waste to me to burn up 2-3 hours of port time eating on the ship. In St Thomas I would recommend Godfrey's Tour or taking the ferry over to St Johns. Great shopping downtown, if you are looking for diamonds, silver, t-shirts or liquor. There is also a Kmart that have great liquor prices that is about 5 mins from the pier. In Dominica go with a guide or tour operator Reyno, Beno, Ken, wacky rollers, and a few others have been mentioned in reviews. Dominca is truly a treasure, but you will miss out on it if you dont plan ahead. In Barbados I would suggest Glory Tours, Silver Moon I or II and/or the Boatyard Aruba...rent a Jeep and check out the lighthouse,natural bridge, and the desert terrain. Carlos N Charlies is fun...tequila conga lines, fire eaters, dancing on the stage, sangria free flowing. There are also a few resorts that you can do day passes. The list changes often so you might have to check with each hotel in the resort area. Also Destiny doesnt have a supper club or fish and chips, but does have deli When are you thinking about sailing? I would imagine by 2007 a different ship *may* take Destiny place in San Juan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SouthernCaribbean Posted June 5, 2005 #5 Share Posted June 5, 2005 We just took our first cruise on the Valor, and I'm looking ahead (no big surprise, LOL) to planning our next cruise. I've been looking into the Destiny and wondered if anyone who had sailed both (or knew a lot about both) could compare and contrast the ships themselves (staterooms, food, lounges/nightlife), ports and/or crew for me. Thanks! If you want a ship similar to Valor you might want to look at Liberty. She will be brand spanking new...just a thought. I personally love the southern Itinerary and dont really spend that much time on the ship. So Im not that picky when it comes to the actual ship. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gatorclaw Posted June 6, 2005 #6 Share Posted June 6, 2005 I have sailed both (my only two cruises) and I have some videos online that many have found very useful and enjoyable. The links are in my signature, but you'll need a high speed connection to view them. I (and my girlfriend) enjoyed both cruises immensely. If I had to choose one or the other again, I would go with Destiny, while my girlfriend would choose Valor. However, this is nearly a toss up. In comparing them, I liked the Valor ship better than the Destiny. However, the ports are far better! Barbados. Aruba. I mean, come on! Dominica however, is my favorite- it's rustic and has the most friendly people. Definately the place for a rough excursion. And the time you get in the ports is fantastic, expecially Aruba and Barbados. The Valor ship of course is much newer. The great thing is if you go on the Destiny, you know the ship's layout already. The Valor is bigger, but the layout is almost identical and when my GF and I sailed on Valor we knew where everything was immediately. Frankly, there is not much to contrast, except that the Destiny is more subdued. The Valor is totally over the top with it's heroes/American theme. The destiny is bland by comparison, but I don't mean that in a bad way, just less flashy. If you have any other specific questions, feel free to ask. I'll check in over the next few days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ukbballfan Posted June 6, 2005 #7 Share Posted June 6, 2005 Gatorclaw Awesome video dude! Is it hard to learn how to put that together? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gatorclaw Posted June 6, 2005 #8 Share Posted June 6, 2005 ukbballfan, Thanks for the compliment. Just do a search for 'long awaited valor video' and you'll find a whole post on my video. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowball Posted June 6, 2005 #9 Share Posted June 6, 2005 I sailed the Destiny in 2002, and will be boarding the Valor this weekend, so I really can't compare the two - yet. ;) But I must agree that the Destiny's itinerary has some of the best ports out there, plus having two late nights in port is a definite plus. I think you should decide based on what is more important to you - the ship or the itinerary. If it is the ship, then you may want to try for a newer one (but remember that the Destiny is being refurbished in September), and if the itinerary is more important, then the Destiny wins hands-down. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MamaParrotHead Posted June 6, 2005 Author #10 Share Posted June 6, 2005 I'm not real particular when it comes to the ship (I don't think so, anyway), as long as it's clean, the staff are friendly and efficient, the food is good and my bed is comfy. I'm thinking of sailing probably not til 2008, as we have little ones (2 and 5) which means both our travel budget is nearly non-existant AND hunting up someone to watch both kids for a week is a rarity (by that time they'll both be in school, and we got away with it this time because my sister was on maternity leave) and as much as I love my kids and even though they are great kids, bringing them isn't an option for us yet. Gatorclaw, not that it comes as any big surprise to me, but the videos are great and have helped me considerably in my decision making process. I think one of my favorite pictures is in the Puerto Rico portion, when your girlfriend is leaning against you with her head on your shoulders. too sweet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MamaParrotHead Posted June 6, 2005 Author #11 Share Posted June 6, 2005 1.) you do realize it's a rarity and something to cherish that not only does your thrill-seeking girlfriend scale trees while wearing a bikini (pretty cool), let you ogle scantily clad women dancing on top of bars but also has a wicked sense of humor (I'd have died laughing about the wallet incident). 2.) can you confirm or deny this? I have a sneaking suspicion that it was you that I heard singing along with the "Copacabana" clip from the show, LOL. I was actually wondering how often Carnival changes up the shows. I saw the date of your cruise was 3/04, yet the same show was running that I just saw 5/05 on the Valor (which I'm sure was also the case when you were aboard). once again, I really enjoy your videos. I only hope that you do something like this for a living, or it's a major waste of such obvious talent and creative flair. I really think I get a feeling of your sense of humor through watching these videos, both from the hilarious captions and the funny sequences (like the one from the Boatyard, where you flash from women dancing on the bars, to you drinking, to more women dancing, to your drinking and back and forth. HYSTERICAL!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaytonCruiser Posted June 6, 2005 #12 Share Posted June 6, 2005 I was actually wondering how often Carnival changes up the shows. I saw the date of your cruise was 3/04, yet the same show was running that I just saw 5/05 on the Valor (which I'm sure was also the case when you were aboard). The shows cost Carnival millions, with costumes, set design..etc..so they run for years, but the singers will change. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gatorclaw Posted June 6, 2005 #13 Share Posted June 6, 2005 1.) you do realize it's a rarity and something to cherish that not only does your thrill-seeking girlfriend scale trees while wearing a bikini (pretty cool), let you ogle scantily clad women dancing on top of bars but also has a wicked sense of humor (I'd have died laughing about the wallet incident). Well, Mama. I'm a lucky guy, this is clear. Of course you fail to mention how lucky she is... Anyway, to answer your other questions: 1- I can neither confirm or deny that was me singing Copacabana. 2- Yes, The "Nightclub Express" show was on the Destiny and now is on The Valor. I am assuming it is only on the Valor and something else is on the Destiny now. In fact, the Lido Deck band Cool Runnings is on the Valor and had been on Destiny- also a few of the crew members as well. I assume they had taken a lot of their best stuff from Destiny and gave it to the new ship in town. And for the record- that wallet incident was not funny at all. Serious heart failure. You're in Barbados. The ship is leaving soon. You have lost your ID... Even now I hate thinking about it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MamaParrotHead Posted June 6, 2005 Author #14 Share Posted June 6, 2005 but I can't help giggling about it as I sit here anyway, LOL. :p and be glad that you had "Kooshall/Cool Runnings" (whatever they're going by these days, I heard they rock) because "Laws", the band aboard now and when we were aboard, SUCKS. I'm talkin', BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAD. the bartenders were taking turns pretending to shoot them with a shotgun, no lie, we were all making crap out of them. sounded like a cross between a senile Kenny G and featuring a sick duck wailing. BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAD.:eek: and ofcourse, I loved the music you put your video to as well, I forgot to mention that the first time. can you try to explain what the weather was like in Dominica, Aruba, Barbados, SJ? although you went in March and I in May, were the temperatures similar to those of St. Thomas/St. Maarten/Nassau? and can you tell me what time of year CCL puts out the schedules for the upcoming years? thanks a lot! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SouthernCaribbean Posted June 6, 2005 #15 Share Posted June 6, 2005 can you try to explain what the weather was like in Dominica, Aruba, Barbados, SJ? although you went in March and I in May, were the temperatures similar to those of St. Thomas/St. Maarten/Nassau? and can you tell me what time of year CCL puts out the schedules for the upcoming years? thanks a lot! Since Dominica has a huge rainforest you can expect a shower at anytime if you book excursion to any of the Falls. Temps in May are in the 80's and humid. As you go further south expect HEAT! :) Barbados and Aruba are places you would want to apply lots of sunscreen. I have seen people really get burnt.:( The schedule right now covers April 07..so in spring of 06 the schedule should cover up to March/April 08..Hard to say when you would be able to book a May 08 cruise. As I mentioned earlier within 3 years so much can change with ships and itinerary. The Destiny itinerary has changed quite a bit over the years. She use to go to Antigua,Guadalupe and Martinique. Aruba and Barbados were always visited by Destiny since she began sailing out of SJ. Im pretty sure there will be a different ship in San Juan by 2008. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sotadragon Posted June 6, 2005 #16 Share Posted June 6, 2005 Gatorclaw, Thanks so much for making those videos and putting them out on the internet! :D We're going on Valor (same itinerary) at the end of October so I'm very excited to get a sneak preview! :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sotadragon Posted June 6, 2005 #17 Share Posted June 6, 2005 Okay, I have to ask. Is Pepper her real name or a nick name? Not trying to be rude! I think it's a very cool name. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gatorclaw Posted June 8, 2005 #18 Share Posted June 8, 2005 Pepper = real name. No kidding. (If you met her mother it would make sense...) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sotadragon Posted June 8, 2005 #19 Share Posted June 8, 2005 I can understand that, I've known some strange/interesting parents. Yes, including my own. :rolleyes: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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